


Paper Partners!

by StarryJot



Category: Mario Story | Paper Mario, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: A carryover from fanfiction, I wondered when I should upload it, It's so funny because I was idly going over my old works, Multi, PM64, Thus! Here it is!, and edited the first few chapters of these, found out that today 02/05/2021, is the 20th anniversary of this heartwarming game and decided that it was a sign, metallic star, paper mario - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:46:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29228682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryJot/pseuds/StarryJot
Summary: It's a tragic tale when the Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom is struck down by the tyrant King of Koopas. But it's also only the beginning of a timeless one...A look into the lives of the Partners before, during and after the events of Paper Mario. Also, a novelization in general. Happy 20th Anniversary, PM64!
Kudos: 6





	1. The Granter

The hill was a breathtaking sight. Every time he came to this place, he would smile and think of the adventure he had down in the Mushroom Kingdom. All the people he met, and the lives he had changed was a whole other experience- a lot more than just picking up a Wish and sending it to the Star Spirits.

 _Not that there was anything wrong with that,_ he thought, _but I do feel lucky to have been a part of.. an adventure!_

But right now, here in this circumstance, the view was heartbreaking.

Wishing Stars littered the fields, some in groups or on their own. Dozens upon hundreds waiting to be the one that would be picked up and cared for lovingly until it was to be granted. Each one gave off their own warm glow and combined to brighten up the place. These Wishes were the embodiment of faith entrusted to a passing celestial body.

None of these Wishes would be granted.

The lone Star floated past the scattered wishes and sighed wistfully as he listened carefully. There was no room for error in his decision, as he only had enough magic to grant a select few. He was no Star Spirit. Despite his ventures and capability, he had didn't have the reserve that they did. He didn't spend his time around the Star Rod. No, he had chosen a different road. It was by pure chance that he had decided to pass by here now, it was one of the few times that he would come here and reminisce about traveling in a doll's body. As soon as he came into range of Star Haven, he could sense that something was wrong.

Instead of the tranquil feeling that resonated from the Star Rod and the inhabitants of Star Haven, there was... nothing.

Here on Star Hill, the warm lights from every Wish beckoned to him, pleading to be the ones granted.

_Please, please let him be safe. He was in the castle when it was torn out of the ground._

_Spirits, help us rebuild the kingdom._

_Let the Princess be safe._

_I hope I can eat a lot of Shroom Cake today._

The Star felt increasingly worse at the wishes. Even something as simple as wanting _cake_ would have to be delayed for the moment, and he had to be selective in his aid. He hurried past the more recent wishes. What could have caused all this?

_This better go off without a hitch, Kammy!_

His attention turned to that particular direction. Bowser? He was behind all of this. He knelt, and listened to the thoughts of the wish. It held the traces of intent to attack and steal the Star Rod for his own. Thoughts of envy, rage and greed flooded the wish.

The King's selfishness was still there, clearly. But the Granter never would have expected him to stoop this low. He glared silently at the wish from King Bowser himself, but then his stare softened.

Despite this, he found that he couldn't hold much animosity against the King. He supposed it was because of all of their time spent together. He knew that Bowser could be better if he tried, but that doesn't mean he could get off scot-free. What he needed to focus on now was finding wishes to grant to lean against Bowser's favor. The Star's attention was suddenly grabbed by a clear cut wish.

_I wish I can meet Mario!! He's so cool and strong._

Mario. That was it. The Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario could be the perfect starting point for all the wishes. The Star headed toward this Wish. It wasn't the most selfless, but this young Goomba had the passion and gave the Star the idea in the first place. Tapping the Wishing star, it floated up and twinkled happily. With a small smile, the Star continued, letting the Wish trail behind him. He needed a few more.

_I wish that I... ...had another chance. I know I choose to be safe, but I..._

The wish ended with a sigh. Uncertainty and regret flooded this wish. The Granter mused over this wish; It was a very open-ended one. How it came true was up to the Koopa himself. Making his choice, the Star lightly tapped on this Wish and it joined the other.

_Oogh! I'm so sick and tired of this place! I want OUT of this hellhole! **BOOM!**_

The Wish Granter recoiled as a loud explosion emphasized the angered Bob-omb's rage-filled wish. Vengeance wishes weren't typically granted, and this wish had a sense of that. But as he looked deeper, it seemed that it echoed justice. There were those who were imprisoned because of Bowser's influence. The Granter chose to pick up this explosive wish as well.

Turning, the Granter noticed a Wish that had landed clumsily. Reaching out, he realized it was one that had been cast by accident; The Wisher-a Parakoopa-hadn't noticed the Falling Star.

_Consarnit... If only I could find all these letters..._

There was no Wish more pure than this one. The Granter took this one in too. He closed his eyes, listening to the whispers around him. A passionate one tugged at him.

_...I, I don't even know if you Star Spirits are real or even listen to us Boos, but...but Tubba Blubba is so horrible! We... I went too far, and now he's eating everybody! I can't do anything to protect my subjects, and he isn't stopping... but this is getting out of hand! I can't do this on my own... Send a little stardust, or... something our way, will you? Please?_

A Boo had reached out in desperation. Bowser... was affecting more people than the Granter thought. Feeling a twinge of worry, the Granter shook his head and decided to continue. He picked up this wish and walked along.

A quiet sob caught his attention.

_I just want my family together again... We should both be helping this land prosper, but I can feel nothing but sorrow..._ _Please...just make sure Watt is in good hands..._

A child was missing because of this? The Granter felt his anger flare. He took a deep breath, and brought along this wish too.

As a direct contrast to the previous wish, rambunctious laughter resonated from a lone one, and broke the Granter out of his brief cloud of anger. This one came from Lavalava Island. The Granter turned to this one, interested but puzzled.

_I really feel burnt out here. The kids don't respect me, everyday is the same. I just want..._

There was rumbling, and the kids' laughs turned to confusion, and one even cried out to the Cheep Cheep.

_There, there, young ones. ...I think that was the volcano...? But I thought that... Stars, please safekeep our home._

The Granter could only imagine what would happen if anything happened to the place this Cheep Cheep adored so much. He picked up this wish without a sound.

Looking back at the Wishes who followed him, he mused on how much magic he had left. He had predicted ten, but there were only seven so far and he felt a bit worried about his granting reserves. There were a few wishes that required a bit more magic, and it's actually been a while since he's granted wishes. He should wrap this up soon.

Several minutes passed before he heard one that seemed worthwhile.

_I know that...well, I mean...-sigh- I don't know, man. I thought I did. Flight tells me that this was the right thing to do but...it doesn't feel right to me. Not after... I just, need...help. Please help me find out what's best for me. For me and my girl. What should I do?_

Interesting, the Granter mused. This one held traces of guilt. A misaimed soul working for Bowser turning on their original perspective. But there seemed to be doubt throughout the entirety of his life already. This conflicted Lakitu needed a small push to see which way was the correct path for him. The Star beckoned to the Wish to join him. He could provide that push.

Looking over his choices, he realized they were a rag tag team. A fanboy, an aimless soul, a hot head, a klutz, a prideful ghost, a lost child, a babysitter and a conflicted foe. To anyone else, it would seem he had been too caught up with the emotions and had chosen wrong...

But the Granter knew they were perfect. After all, wasn't a Monarch, a Tyrant, a Puppet, and an overly-sensitive Prince just as much a _mess_ a Hero had to work with before?

Chuckling in amusement, the Granter began to trek his way back up to the top of the hill. The Wishes repeated their assigned wishes in whispers. They trailed behind the Granter as he made it to the top. He looked to the dark night sky, and took off. He soared through the skies and into the heavens once again, back to Star Haven, to grant these final stars of hope...


	2. A Little Goomnut

**"The Goomba Haven"**

_Goomba Village is an oddity. The town consists of a single house, and a Toad House. It has large, unused amounts of land. It seems strange to call it a village...by today's standard, that is._

_Back when the first Toad-Koopa War had started, the general assumption was that all Goombas had deflected over to the Koopa Kingdom. This was proven false when several of the species reached out to the Queen for refuge from both sides who have deemed them traitors._

_Impressed by the Goombas' bravery and ever the caretaker for those in need, Queen Toadstool accepted these travelers with only a few cautious measures to keep both them and her people safe and with ease of mind. She granted them a large portion of land to accommodate the band of Goombas, and planned a settlement to be built for them. This safe haven was dubbed Goomba Village._

_Despite being set up a fair distance away, Queen Toadstool ensured the monthly shipment of necessary supplies. The vocal minority of Toads who was against the idea of the village of Goombas fortunately did nothing but complain, and they were simply dismissed in favor of defending against the true threat; King Koopa._

_Because of the divide of resources, houses in the village took a longer time to be built. The Queen received a letter from the gracious Goombas that while the thought is appreciated, they could make due with limited shelter, and a steady supply of food was all they needed. Thus, the Queen thanked them for their outstanding patience._

_When the war began to die down, as did the need for Goomba Village. They no longer had to live in fear, so they gave their thanks to the Mushroom Monarch and some set out to begin new lives all throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Eventually, all that remained of the village was the Toad House that still stands proudly today, serving as a reminder of the precarious peace that sustained between the friendly Goombas and Toads during the War._

* * *

As a young kid, Goombario would always read this passage in awe. To think, he lived in such an _important_ historical place where so many brave Goombas lived! It was exciting to think that he could grow up to make such a ground breaking change in history. It couldn't be that difficult, could it? Just be a hero! After all, as his dad has told him before, he was named after the Mushroom Kingdom Hero, Mario! He was practically destined to be famous!

Then, as some years passed, he realized that a few paragraphs talking about a dusty, forgotten village wasn't much to be proud of. This disappointment led to a slightly bitter feeling, since the history book had actually gone out of its way to ensure that the Toad House "still stands proudly," when not a single word was dedicated to the fact that the long standing house was still up and lived in by a family of Goombas, who were direct descendants of the original brave goombas. However, his disappointment managed to wrap around to determination soon enough, as his optimistic side convinced him he could be the one to place Goomba Village back on the map.

And these thoughts would always have its place, swirling around the Goomba's mind throughout his life. A dream of adventure sounded amazing, and Goompa agreed. "Take it from me. Goombario," he laughed heartily. "There's no doubt that everyone should live their life to the fullest! Have I ever told you about my close, good friends, Bootler and Koopa Koot?"

The young boy grinned with excitement at the new names. "No, you haven't!"

"Well, it all started on the fateful day when I decided to leave home for excitement...! Nothing ever happens here, you see..."

* * *

"Hey, Goombario," the Toad House keeper greeted.

The young Goomba smiled at him, "Hi, Ress..." he said, sounding a little shy.

The Toad chuckled shortly, "Is everything okay, is something on your mind?"

Goombario smiled, his desire winning out on his embarrasment. "Well, uh... I wanted to know... okay, well, I read that the Heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom... they can use the magical plants even though they're not from this world. Do you know anything about that?"

"Oh, do I! I came here from Toad Town," Toad nodded, "So I first-hand see when we get attacked, and how Mario swoops in without fear. You know, once he even saved someone I knew from the castle! My brother Russ also said that it's difficult to use if you aren't properly trained. But I know that Mario uses it flawlessly! I think Luigi too..."

Goombario relaxed, and listened contentedly to Toad's story.

* * *

On his next birthday, Goombario received a more modern history book of the Mushroom Kingdom from Goompapa, and expressed much more enthusiasm than any other kid getting a history book for his birthday would normally. Gooma made him a delicious Nutty Cake. Finally, he was given a hat by Goomama.

Beaming brightly, Goombario placed it on his head. His thoughts immediately turned to his idol and excitement made him blurt out a question without much thought. "Do you think I can meet Mario one day?"

"..Why, of course, Goombario," his mother said with a smile. "It's possible, at the very least. Mario is a very kind man."

Goompapa was a bit a less positive. "Well, he's a very busy guy. Saving the Kingdom so many times would no doubt wear a guy out."

"Pah!" Goompa scoffed, "If I could survive a conversation with _Koopa Koot,_ and still find time to settle down, build a house and raise a family, Mario could meet a fan of his."

There was a collective laugh between the adults. Goombario smiled blankly, not quite getting the joke. As the chuckles settled down, Goompapa spoke up again. "I guess that is true. But I still don't think that he'd come out all the way here just for a family of five Goombas. If he makes a planned appearance at Toad Town, then we can go see him."

That was enough for Goombario, and he grinned once more. "I can't wait! Do you think there will be a public event soon? Toad Town is where the Princess lives, so I think there's a good chance of him coming!"

Goompa chuckled again, "Of course, Goombario. Now, for your birthday gift, did you still want me to teach you how to fight? You're old enough, and there's still light out."

"Yeah," Goombario exclaimed. This was so exciting! "Let's go!"

"Now, now. Before we go. I struck a deal with your mom, Goombario."

"What?" he asked eagerly, looking back and forth between the two.

"Under no circumstance are you going to use it to be mean, got it? No bullying, no showing off, no nothing." Goompa briefly lectured.

"Of course not!" Goombario shook his head. "I would never do that!" And it was true! How could a hero be mean?

His mom looked pleased, and Goompa grinned. "Great answer! Let's go, you little scamp."

* * *

A few months later, Goombario was reading in his room. Currently, he was reading a Star Fighters comic. It was about a group of crimefighters in space! Very cool. The main character, Geno, had just flown straight into danger. He was heroically heading to what was obviously a trap, in order to save-

"Goombario~!"

Looking up from the colorful pages, the young Goomba paused and called back. "Yeah, Goomama? What do you need?"

"Come here! Look..." was her answer.

"What is it?" he tried again, and slumped in defeat. She wouldn't answer until he went, though he didn't know why. He gave up and stood to walk to the living room where the older Goombas were crowded around Goomama. Goombario got closer to see what the fuss was about.

A young, pink Goomba was held by Goomama lovingly. "It's your new baby sister~" she cooed when he tiptoed to see.

Goombario still didn't get why everyone was excited. "Oh."

Not hearing her son's disappointed tone, she continued. "The Stork must have come at the break of dawn. She was there on the doorstep and she's absolutely beautiful~"

Goombario kept quiet, corners of his mouth tilted in a confused frown. Noticing his grandson's befuddlement, Goompa leaned down to him and got his attention with a whisper.

"Don't forget Mario is the older brother, too."

Goombario's eyes lit up. Goompa was right! Luigi was Mario's younger brother, and they were practically best friends! Saving the Kingdom together, and having each others' backs. He would do the best he could to be the coolest older brother, like Mario!

* * *

Six months later, Goombario had long grown tired of the novelty of having a younger sister. All she did was cry and eat, and the noise was enough to force Goombario to go outside to read. He sat outside the doorstep, and managed to read a few paragraphs before Goombaria's shriek reached him outside. It's like she did this on _purpose._

The older Goombas shook off his claims and had reminded him that " _she was just a baby_ " and told him to " _have a lick of patience_." He had no idea why they were

Having had enough of Goombaria's cries, the blue-capped Goomba grabbed his book and grumpily began to head away from the house, walking past the Toad House and down the deserted pathway. He walked along until he was sure the shrill ringing was absent from the air around him. With a content sigh, Goombario leaned against a tree and slunk down to the ground, opening the hardcover blue book once again.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when a loud "Hey!" sprang out of nowhere. Goombario jolted out of his focus and looked up at the voice.

A young Koopa- still in his _egg shell_ no less- had come down the pathway and noticed him from the other side of the field. "What are you doing in _my_ playground?!"

"Your _playground_?" Goombario repeated in question, then retorted, "This is my family's yard." And it was true. Goomba Village was the combination of this field, the Clearing near their house, and the Toad House and their home. It's been passed down generation by generation. It was their land.

However, the baby Koopa seemed to disagree and made an angry sound-a squeak was the best way to describe it, perhaps? "No! It's mine! I'm here everyday so it can't be your place! Get out of here!" The young Koopa charged toward the Goomba angrily.

Goombario blinked and sidestepped, deciding that fighting someone younger than him who was obviously not a fighter was quite mean-spirited, and would be breaking his promise. The small Koopa stumbled and turned around indignantly in a flash, seeming genuinely confused at how Goombario had moved out of the way so easily.

"That doesn't make any sense." Goombario told him, trying to reason with him. "Just because you go somewhere often, doesn't mean it's yours."

This only served to make the kid even more mad and he stomped his foot once, and then repeatedly. "It is mine! My place! Master Jr. Troopa's place! Mine!"

There was just something so funny about the situation, that Goombario couldn't help but stifle some laughter.

"What're you laughing at? I'll show you!" The baby Koopa rushed toward him, but unceremoniously fell to the ground after tripping over Goombario's book.

Goombario couldn't hold back his laugh anymore and let loose. Jr. Troopa reddened in embarrassment and anger as he realized what had happened and that Goombario was laughing at _him._

Scrambling to his feet, Jr. glared at the book and gave it a strong kick, making it slide a distance in the dirt. Goombario choked out of his laughter with, "Hey! Watch it!"

Feeling more confident, the short Koopa smirked, "Or what? You better get out of my playground before I kick you out too."

Goombario frowned and looked to his book. The pages didn't look damaged, and the cover was probably just a bit dirty. He decided to let it go. He's read enough for today, and if the brat did come here every day, he certainly didn't want to be around. He can just go to the Clearing instead anyway... That still didn't make him any less frustrated, but he'd back off...

"Fine, you idiot." he snapped, irritated. He walked over to his book and started to pick it up.

While Jr. Troopa didn't really know what the word meant, he knew enough to know that it was meant to be an insult. And if there was anything the spoiled Koopa hated more then trespassers in his playground, it was being _insulted_.

With the Goomba's back still turned, Jr. rammed into him, making him fall forward.

_Riiiip._

As clever as Goombario was, it took him a few seconds to realize what that sound was. The shock of actually being attacked after he had agreed to leave peacefully was what went through his mind first. The second thing was that a page of _his_ book had been torn in _his_ yard when he was trying to relax. Sitting up, he fixed his hat and stared blankly at the blue book.

"Maybe that will teach you a thing or two about being mean to me," Jr. told him triumphantly. "Now get out of my playground, and be snappy about it-"

Goombario Headbonked the Koopa with all the power he could muster. He landed, and it didn't make him feel better at all. His day was ruined and his book was ripped. Goombario left in an angry huff, cradling his book as one would a baby. Jr. Troopa was definitely worse than Goombaria's incessant crying.

Meanwhile, Jr. Troopa was on the ground in a daze, stars flying above his head. He was dizzy, but also felt the strong urge to get back at the jerk Shroom. The only way to do so would be to get stronger somehow, and that way he would be knock the Goomba down in one shot. Yeah, that sounded perfect... juuusst perfect...

And then, he blacked out.


	3. What A Doll

The Jr. Troopa fiasco was never brought up to his parents or grandparents. Given how spoiled that Koopa seemed to be, Goombario expected for an irate call from one of Jr.'s parents but it surprisingly never came. He never got in trouble for lashing out at someone.

Granted, he certainly felt justified. He would have defended himself for his actions if need be... But that didn't stop some guilt from passing through. He had still beaten up a weaker and younger person up, in anger no less. Self defense wasn't supposed to be this guilt-inducing.

He frowned. _Even if he had it coming..._

And with that thought he felt guiltier and decided to try and not think about this anymore. After all, Jr. Troopa had trespassed, shoved him first _and_ torn his book. If that wasn't enough...well, Goombario didn't really care if Jr. Troopa didn't think that was enough. He hoped that no one would agree to play with him there.

And when Goombaria was old enough to finally have a real conversation, he would make sure that she'd stay away from him too.

* * *

Of course, when Goombaria grew older, turned out to be just as annoying as when she was a baby. She followed Goombario around all day and tried to copy whatever he did. Be it wandering around the forest, reading a book, and even training. Goombario just knew that she was doing this just to be annoying and was frustrated when he was told that, " _Nonsense!_ She just looks up to you Goombario! Don't you be mean to her."

He was starting to get fed up with this. Didn't they see that she was just doing this for attention?

"Umbario!"

Goombario sighed and walked outside to see Goombaria at the edge of the front yard, looking in question to the distance. He rolled his eyes as she looked back to see him and called out. "Umbario! Come and play with me in the forest!"

"It's Goombario." He paused, "And.. no. I don't feel like going, so you can't go either."

"How about later?" she asked.

The Goomba rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna say yes because you're going to bother me about it. Another time, Goombaria."

"You're no fun!" she whined, stamping her foot. "You just read all day."

"And you annoy me all day, so we're even." Goombario huffed, leaving to go back inside. "Leave me alone."

* * *

On days like these, when nobody wanted to accompany her, she would wait some time before going off on her own to sightsee. Goombaria hummed as she walked through the forest. She wasn't supposed to, but nothing ever happened in the woods anyway, so it should be all fine.

She heard a stick break, and she looked to the trees. "...Hello?" she asked, a bit of panic gripping at her. She heard a faint 'Huh?' and before long, a boy's face poked through the bushes to look at the path she was on.

'Hi!" Goombaria smiled. "Who are you?"

The young new face stepped out of the trees. "I'm Jr. Troopa." he introduced himself. "And you?"

"Goombaria!" she answered pleasantly. "What were you doing in the forest on your own?"

"What were _you_ doing?" Jr. asked her suspiciously.

"Well, I just like playing and looking at stuff," Goombaria answered. "But nobody wanted to go with me today."

Jr. hummed. "I like playing too. I have a playground near here."

"Ooh!" Goombaria said, "Can I play with you?"

The Koopa considered this. He was always on his own too... he had no siblings, and this girl seemed nice enough. "Well... okay! Follow me! We're gonna play tag first."

"Okay!" Goombaria cheered.

* * *

It felt like Goombaria had finally grown out of her desire to annoy Goombario, for the most part. Instead of following him blindly, she actually asked questions on why he did what he did.

It was a nice change of pace, and he eagerly answered her. He talked about how he was named after Mario, and why he trained to fight, and Toads he's met in Toad Town when he went shopping with Goomama, and stories about the Mario Brothers...

She seemed to grow more interested at the mention of the heroes, and Goombario didn't blame her. It was great to teach someone else about what he knew.

As their chatter grew more animated, the older brother finally admitted to himself that Goombaria probably wasn't _half_ bad.

...But that wouldn't stop him from wanting a younger brother, of course.

* * *

"Uh...are you sure that this will help me get stronger?" Goombaria asked with uncertainty.

"Yeah, of course! If not you, then definitely me!" The blue-capped Goomba responded.

Goombaria whined. "Goombario! You said this would make _me_ stronger! I don't want to get hurt for no good reason!"

"You said you would help me out. Goompa said that he can't train me anymore! He's getting too old, but I don't want to stop improving myself!"

"Can't you improve yourself by reading those boring self-defense books..." she asked with a pout.

"Hey, they're not boring! And there's a difference between knowing things and practicing them, Goombaria. Now hold still." Goombario hushed her. He hopped towards her, jumping high.

"Uh..wait, no! I don't want to help anymore." She said with fear.

Too late.

Goombario's Headbonk hit her, and it hurt a lot.

Her older brother landed with a smile. "I haven't jumped that high before, that felt great!" He noted her wide, shining eyes and little frown, and his smile faded. "Hey, c'mon Goombaria, it didn't hurt that bad."

"But it did!" She cried and sniffed.

"Look, just calm down, okay?" Goombario said, feeling nervous. Goombaria breathed haphazardly, tring to hold bakc her tears. "...Don't tell Mom-"

The little girl burst into tears and ran into the house.

Goombario sighed and grumbled under his breath, following her.

He was grounded.

* * *

For Goombaria's upcoming birthday, Goombario wasn't sure what to get her. She didn't really share the same interests he did so it was tough.

Goombaria did like the adventures of the Mario Brothers as he did, but he didn't think that a history book would catch her interest as much as it caught his. She was more into...nature, he supposed. Plants always caught her interest and she always wandered out into the Clearing. Most of the time, she lost hide-and-seek because she would get distracted by a "pretty new flower."

Playing around with this idea, Goombario wondered what he could get for her that involved nature but couldn't be found around here. He could plant a garden...but their first attempt at a secret garden didn't really work out so well. They had bought a Fire Flower and set it up on a ledge in the forest to grow, but were only disappointed when they learned that Fire Flowers could only grow and breed in certain climates.

Goombario sat up, an idea coming to him. He raced to Goompapa and asked if they could go to Toad Town to get Goombaria's present. He agreed, and they took the roughly day-long trip to get to Toad Town. Luckily, Russ T. did have a copy of the book Goombario had in mind.

* * *

And thus, Goombaria's birthday came around. She absolutely _loved_ the attention she was showered with. Goombario couldn't help but roll his eyes, albeit good-naturedly. Gooma gave her a cute Dolly that looked like Princess Peach. Goombario couldn't tell if she had bought it or hand-sewn it. It looked so professional, but he never saw Gooma leave the house...

Goomama gifted her a cute, yellow bow that Goombaria adored. With the bow on her head and Dolly at hand, she looked as happy as could be.

"One last gift, Goombaria~" Goompapa sang, giving Goombario his cue. The blue-capped Goomba laughed and brought out the last present. It was wrapped in a flowery pattern topped with a pink bow. It almost made him sick wrapping it, but he guessed it was worth it.

"I'm expecting a present next year," Goombario half-joked, handing it over to her. Goombaria stuck her tongue out at him playfully. Then, she immediately tore into it with delight and revealed it to be a pink, hardcover book, as a nice parallel to Goombario's blue history book.

Flowers and Their Colors: The Subtle Language

"Goombario!" she squealed, looking even more excited as she looked through the first few pages. "I love it!"

The Goomba grinned back at her.

* * *

Since her birthday, the younger pink Goomba was never seen without her Dolly or bow. At times, she would grab her book, and sit right next to Goombario when he was studying and reading. The older Goombas absolutely melted over this.

And it was nice, Goombario had to admit, This meant he finally had peace when he was trying to read. The book was a great idea in more ways than one. The only downside was...

"And yellow is a friendly color, but in some places it means 'Caution!' Isn't that neat? I didn't know there were different interpretations of one thing..."

Goombaria. Never. Stopped. Talking.

Even when he told her to go away! He mentioned this to Goompa, saying he almost regretted giving her that book, but Goompa simply laughed and said that it might run in the family.

"What do you mean? _I'm_ not like that!" Goombario had protested, but Goompa only laughed heartily. Goombario didn't get what was so funny.

"Don't worry about it too much, Goombario," Goompa told him with a pat on his head. "Now, run along."

* * *

"'Umbario!" His little sister cried, "Look!"

He rolled his eyes and looked up from his book. "It's Goombario. And what do you want?" he asked.

She held up her own book, open to a page. "Look!"

Goombario looked on with boredom, but that changed when he was reading it. It was a picture of a Fire Flower- one of the magical items the Mario Brothers were good with. "Okay, that is pretty cool." he admitted, sitting up to get a better look. "But what about it?"

"It says that Fire Flowers are sold in Toad Town! We can buy our own and grow a bunch of them." Goombaria explained.

It sounded compelling, but that didn't sound quite right to Goombario. He grabbed his little sister's book and scanned the details. "There's different kinds of Fire Flowers, Goombaria." he explained. "These aren't the ones that let Mario shoot fire..."

"We can still buy them!" she insisted, "They're still Fire Flowers!"

"But not the right ones," Goombario repeated. "If anyone can buy matured Fire Flowers, why would it be so rare?"

"You just don't want to help buy them!" Goombaria accused him.

Goombario rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm interested too, but I don't think it's the right one. I'll help out, but don't cry about it when it doesn't work work in sprouting new Fire Flowers."

"I won't cry!" Goombaria said. "Just help me!"

"Okay, I am." Goombario answered. "Let's go."

A couple of days later, they had the young Flower from the store, and headed into the forest to plant it in a secret place.

"Up high!" Goombaria said. "Nobody can reach it or even see it.

"Okay, Goombario grinned. Even if he was the one informing Goombaria it might not work, he still looked down excitedly. A Magic Item... he wondered if he could ever learn how to use them himself. Transforming, getting bad guys out of the way with all sorts of elements! It sounded so fun and adventurous.

The siblings chattered and laughed as they planted the Flower. It didn't end up maturing into a full grown bloom, of course... but it was still fun.

* * *

It was quiet in the household, so Goombario wondered where his sister was. He would somehow get in trouble if she wandered off and got hurt, so he decided to go seek her out.

He walked outside and looked around. Maybe she was in the Clearing, so he headed over there.

As he drew nearer, he started to hear her prattling on about colors. Who was she talking with...? When he was finally near enough, he saw that it was none other than Jr. Troopa. and he frowned as he approached.

Jr. saw him first, and froze.

"Jr.?" Goombaria asked.

The Koopa stood up in a flash and scurried off with a quick, "I gotta go, bye Goombaria!"

Goombaria turned around and looked mad when she saw Goombario. "Why are you here? You scared him away!"

"I didn't even do anything! I just walked up." Goombario said.

Goombaria stood with a huff. "Liar! He told me that you attacked him once for no reason!"

"Oh, please. He's a little liar! He tore my book!" Goombario said. "And I never said that I hated him! I said that he was no good! If you ask me-" Although he was interrupted when when Goombaria let out an ear-piercing shriek.

"My Dolly!" she cried, looking around frantically, "I thought I brought her with me! Where could I have it left it?!"

Without another word and tears already streaming down her face, she pushed past Goombario, crying for Goomama. Goombario chased after her to clarify that this was in no way _his_ fault.

* * *

Jr. Troopa didn't stop running until he was far from that Clearing. He ran until he was out of breath and super sure that Goombario wasn't following him.

Sure, he made that vow of vengeance to beat that Goomba one day, but he was no idiot. (He looked up what the word meant had gotten even angrier.) He knew that he wasn't ready to fight the Goomba. He had to prepare!

The Koopa stopped to catch his breath. It didn't look or sound like any Goombas were in sight. He relaxed a bit. At least Goombaria was nice to him, but he would never be like that in front of stupid Goombario.

Jr. Troopa froze once again. That's when he realized he held Goombaria's Dolly in his hands. He was fiddling around with the cute plush while Goombaria was talking to him, and he took off without letting it go.

...Maybe he can return it without them noticing-?

"Ahhh! My Dolly!" he heard the pink Goomba from afar. He jumped, and panic made him take off instinctively. He made a mad short dash to his playground, where he looked around for a place to hide it/

In a bush? No, that would be easy to find. On top of a block? No, anyone would be able to see it.

His eyes glanced over a tree before he ran to it and hurled the Dolly upwards, watching as it caught on one of the branches. Perfect. Nobody would find it and nobody could blame him. Jr. Troopa hurried home, full of guilt.

* * *

Goombaria was miserable for days. She had found a shiny stone in the forest, and while she was awed by it, the lack of her Dolly quickly brought her down again.

On the other hand, Goombario was bored for days. He didn't get in trouble despite some skeptical looks from Goomama, but he was told to accompany Goombaria while she looked in the forest for her Dolly. The first day was bearable. He did help her look around for it. Every day after day one was torturous boredom. He could be doing whatever he wanted to right now, but nope! He had to help his baby sister. Why didn't she just give up? It was just a doll...

"Goombario, quit goofing around! Help me!" Goombaria begged.

The brown Goomba sighed. "Why don't you ask your... friend?" he asked. "Maybe he saw you drop it.

Goombaria smiled. "Yeah... maybe. I'll go ask him!"

"You're not going alone," Goombario said sternly.

She frowned, knowing how stubborn he was. "Fine. But You better leave him alone!" she demanded.

They continued to walk down the path. "Troopa~!" she called. "I need your help in finding my Dolly! My brother is here too, but he promised he's only helping to look!" When he didn't answer, Goombaria huffed, "This is your fault. You're scaring him."

"I'm not even saying anything, Goombaria. Maybe he's just at home. Look, why don't we just look in the field?"

"You mean Jr's playground?" Goombaria asked innocently.

"It's _not_ his..." Goombario groaned, "Whatever. Sure. Let's go."

They walked only a few steps toward the field when Jr. Troopa jumped out of the bushes. "NO! You can't go in here!"

Goombario wondered how long he was there. Goombaria frowned, "Why not? And why didn't you answer me earlier?"

"Because...because it's my playground! And..." he paused, unsure of how to answer the second question.

Goombaria didn't seem to notice and continued. "Have you seen my Dolly?" she asked sweetly.

Troopa looked upset. "No! Now get out of here!"

"What? Why?" Goombaria asked again. "Goombario said he'll leave you alone. He's just here because I'm not allowed on my own out here.

Goombario nodded. "Yeah, chill out. I know we don't like each other, but you don't have to yell at her."

"I can yell if I want!" Troopa said, feeling more nervous. "Now leave me alone!"

"I only want my Dolly," Goombaria said stubbornly. "If you're not going to help me, I'll look for her myself!" She tried to walk past him but the Koopa stepped in front of her.

"Stay away!" Jr. Troopa snapped. "I'm saying that only I can go in there! You...you _idiot!_ " he pushed her away from the entrance to his playground.

Goombaria fell back and landed on the ground. She looked up at Jr. Troopa, hurt.

The older Goomba glowered at Jr. Troopa. "Hey! You think you can push her around? Watch it!"

Jr, Troopa winced at Goombaria's look, but he stood his ground. Why couldn't they just leave!? He planned to give it back to her eventually...when he managed to get it down from the tree branch. "You watch it!" he shot back. They glared at each other.

"Goombario..." Goombaria spoke up. "If he wants us to go, let's just go..." she said sadly.

Jr. Troopa looked at Goombaria as she stood up. Goombario paused, but relented. He didn't want a repeat of the conflicted guilt. He shot another look at Jr. and then started to walk off. "C'mon. Let's go home then."

Goombaria averted her gaze from the Koopa and followed after her older brother.

Once again, Jr. was left alone in his playground, feeling defeated by a Goomba... After a few minutes of thinking about what happened, he clenched his fists. It wasn't his fault that they wouldn't take the stupid hint!...

He did _not_ feel guilty...!


	4. Aftershock and Awe

Goombaria was very upset over the incident that occurred. She cried when they got home and was quiet for the rest of the day. The next day is when anger settled in.

'I don't know why he was so mean, Gooma!" she complained about him. "We were just asking him if he could help and he shoved me!" She was angry, but tears started to flow.

Gooma tutted, "That boy just doesn't know friendship when he sees it. He lost out, little Goombaria."

"Mh-hmm!" she agreed, wiping her face.

Goombario couldn't help but quip "Told you so." as he passed by. This brought about a fresh wave of tears from the girl.

"Goombario!" their mom exclaimed.

"You should know better," Goompapa scolded him.

"But I did warn her! It's her fault that she didn't listen to me!" he protested.

Even Goompa shook his head at him. "You just think about how she feels, boy."

Goombario rolled his eyes, but he said no more.

The next few days was quiet for him. The silent treatment. This was so annoying. Goombaria kept trying to find the doll but it was on limited time with Goompapa who didn't have the energy or patience to spend more than half an hour looking. So, she was home most of the time anyway, sulking.

On the fifth day, he approached Goombaria, who pretended not to notice him. "Hey," he said.

"..." she kept on coloring.

"Do you want to go look for your Doll?" he asked.

She looked up at him, a bit reluctantly, but a smile already forming. "...Really?" she asked after a pause.

"Hurry up and get dressed," Goombario said in response.

His younger sister got up, and rushed to do so.

* * *

They were along the forest chatting and talking once more.

However, Goombario stopped in his tracks when he heard a group of voices that overlapped their conversations. He grabbed Goombaria and listened closely.

 _They don't sound familiar_ , Goombario thought, _I don't think..._

He made a split decision and pulled Goombaria off the main path, using the plentiful foliage to hide them.

"Hey!" she griped. "What are you doing?"

Goombario shushed her, and then that's when she heard it. Voices traveled over to where they hid.

"So you think it'll work this time?" one of the voices asked. A male one.

"Well, I don't know. The details of his scheme were kept classified. Nobody really knows what he was after, right?" a second one input. Another male.

"Hmm," a third mused. This one was a female. "Well, if it's been kept under wraps, then maybe it might just be the big one, fellas."

"It does seem to be a big project." the second voice said. "I saw Kamek chatting with Kammy."

"Didn't he retire?" the first voice. Goombario caught a glimpse of a Goomba, a Para-Goomba, and a Spiked Goomba throught the trees and bushes. They were passing along causually.

"Yeah, officially as King Bowser's main royal advisor, I think, but he still lives around the castle..."

Their voices trailed off.

The siblings stayed in panicked silence for minutes, not daring to move a muscle.

"Goombario..." the younger one whispered. "Were they...?"

"Yeah," he replied just as quietly. There was no denying it. The spiked one with his tell-tale armor and the Para-Goomba herself was proof! "Bowser's Troops."

"Buy, but what are they doing way out here?" she asked.

"I don't know, Goombaria!" Goombario shook his head. "But... let's go home. It should be safe now. Let's just hurry."

Goombaria nodded, and the brother and sister rushed off to their house silently. The Doll was long forgotten.

* * *

Not another word was said until they were back safely in the house, door locked. Everyone was inside, luckily.

"Mom!" "Goomama!" They both called, and repeated frantically.

"Yes?" She was currently washing some blankets by hand. "What's the matter, kids?" she asked.

"We saw that there were some Goombas in the forest!" Goombaria cried.

"Yeah!" Goombario nodded, "There was a Spiked one, and a Flying one!"

"And they were talking about Bowser...!" Goombaria continued, panting but wanting to explain more.

"They work for him! We stayed out of sigh of course but... we heard everything!" Goombario finished.

By that point, all of the older Goombas attention were on them, and Goomama was standing.

"...Ok. The Forest is off limits." Goomama instructed.

"Yes, stay inside or in sight of any of us at all times." Goompapa backed his wife up.

Gooma spoke up, "I believe we have enough food for a month more. It's a good thing we buy in bulk."

"But we should still take precautions," Goompa nodded. "Build a sturdy fence around our main yard. Lock the gates at all times."

Goombario and Goombaria looked back and forth between the adults.

Goompapa frowned. "Feeling unsafe is something my family should never go through. I'll build the gate."

"Oh!" Goomama realized. "We should have the Toad Housekeeper send a letter."

"Kids," Gooma said, noting they looked a little scared. "You did great for keeping safe and telling us. Why don't you go fill in Ress T. and ask him write a correspondence?"

"Okay," Goombario said and Goombaria nodded and started to head next door.

"I'll get to work collecting wood from the clearing." Goompapa said.

"I'll go with you." Goompa offered.

"Be safe," Goomama told them.

* * *

_Dear Princess Peach,_

_My name is Ress Toad. I am stationed over at Goomba Village with urgent news regarding the safety of the Villagers here, and the near-future of the Mushroom Kingdom. Two of the young residents have discovered a group of Goombas loyal to the Koopa Troop. I cautiously ventured out to the forest myself and can confirm that at least of handful of soldiers are posted around the area._

_We are currently taking precautions to remain safe, one of which includes writing and sending you this letter. The family of this Village and I reach out to you as a both a warning about the Kingdom and as a formal request for aid. We await your diligent response._

_Signed Ress T._

A quick short letter. Straight to the point and informative.

"It'll probably take a few days," he mused aloud to the kids, after the mailman flew in and took it, promising the quickest delivery. "The mail process, plus the Princess might be busy... But a connection to the castle means a connection to Mario." he nodded.

Goombario perked up. "Mario...!" He's been so worried that the Hero hadn't even crossed his mind. "Do you really think he might come around here?" he asked breathlessly.

Ress laughed, a bit nervously. "I hope that he wouldn't have to, but if push came to shove I'd sure appreciate it if he did show up."

The fanboy was just too excited about the possibility to get what he meant.

* * *

Around five days later, it was like the world was ending.

A sudden earthquake was strong enough to make the house rumble.

The siblings dived under the table, and the older Goombas stood, leaning against the wall, very concerned. Items shook fell from shelves with clutters and shattering. Outside, they heard the tree rustling wildly. The groans and creaks coming from the veranda worried them all. They heard a loud _crash_ from outside.

"...Is everyone okay? " Goompa asked after a moment of silence.

There was a quiet chorus of confirmations that swept through the room as the family recollected themselves. The worst of it was over, it seemed.

Gooma and Goomama set to salvaging the damaged stuff and sweeping up glass. "Careful where you step," Gooma warned as Goompa went towards the door leading to their veranda.

"I will." Goompa opened it, peering inside. "It's still up. The crash might have been from the front yard." he tested the condition of the veranda by carefully placing a foot on it. "It might be fine, but it might need a tuneup."

He shut the door and turned to the main room with a sheepish smile. "But, I suppose that can wait, am I right? Let's pick up in here first..."

With the whole family helping out, it didn't take long for the house to be cleaned up.

Goompapa cleared his throat soon afterwards. "I'm going to check on the damage outside."

Both siblings went to join him, and they all walked outside together with him.

Several of their Goomnut Tree's harvest lay scattered all around. It wasn't in season for them, so both good and unripe Goomnuts littered the yard. A few particularly heavy ones completely crushed a section of the new fence. "Those large ones can knock somebody out if you aren't careful." Goompapa commented aloud before getting to work on cleaning up the yard.

Goombario looked over the damage and then glanced over the Toad house. Untouched, it seemed. But... How was Ress himself? They hadn't checked on him! "I'm going to see if Ress is okay," he announced, already heading toward the building.

His dad nodded, checking out the damage on the fence after removing the Goomnut from the splintered wood.

"Wow," Goombaria noted, "It looks like a lot to fix."

"This is nothing," Goompapa assured. "I'm going to make sure my family stays safe, and if that means building a fence that not even the Great Mario can jump over, then so be it!"

Goombaria giggled at the image of Mario failing to jump over a fence. "That's so funny!" she exclaimed. "Is it even possible?" she wondered.

In response, Goompapa chuckled, "Well, I'll make it possible." He knelt down to get a closer look at the gate.

The young girl took a couple of steps to look at the yard. She briefly wondered what to do now when she felt something beckon to her.

_Over here, young one._

She looked towards the Clearing questioningly. Is that where it came from? Goombaria looked back at her dad, but he was grumbling something under his breath. Hadn't he heard something?...

Her look returned to the direction she heard it from. The trees in the Clearing was almost emanating with...some sort of energy. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she felt compelled to check it out. She took a hesitant step toward the place, and then walked across the yard.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me out, Goombario." Ress spoke up as he placed a couple of jars on a high shelf.

"No problem." the boy responded nonchalantly as he swept. "I just wanted to make sure you were fine too, Ress. You're practically a part of the family too."

The Toad smiled as he dropped down to the floor. "That means a lot, kid." he thanked him, pushing a large flower pot a couple of feet towards the wall.

"I'm just glad nothing broke," Goombario commented. "So, were you-?"

"Dad! Goompa! Goom-bar-io!" Goombario heard it from outside. She sounded fearful and urgent.

"Um, I'll be right back." Goombario told him.

"No problem." Ress said, looking concerned too as Goombario ran out the door. He hoped that whatever it was, it wasn't dire.

* * *

The Toad House's door slammed open and Goombario saw his dad first, and ran over. "What happened? Where's Goombaria!?" he asked frantically.

Goompapa shook his head. "She was here a second ago, but I thought she wandered to the Toad House with you." The main house's door swung open.

"Where's Goombaria!?" he asked. Gooma and Mom poked their heads in the doorway. "What happened?" "Where is she?" and the family began talking over each other with a varied chorus of "I don't know" and "I only heard her and came out here."

"Mom! Gooma!" Goombaria's voice called out again, but this time closer. "Guys!" She came from behind the gathering of trees in front of the house. "There's, I don't, know why..." she puffed, trying to breathe and explain at the same time

"You know you aren't supposed to be by yourself!" Mom scolded.

"Especially in these times, Goombaria!" Dad said.

Gooma tutted, "You gave all of us a heart attack."

Goombaria looked up at them all. "Yes.. I know, sorry! But... I saw..."

Goompa frowned. "Young lady, if this is about your _Doll_..." he started to warn.

"No!" she cried, "This isn't about her! I saw... _Mario_! But, but I think he's.. hurt or something! He's just laying there!"

Goombario blinked. What?

"What?" Goompapa asked after a brief pause of silence from the rest. He echoed all of their thoughts perfectly.

"Yeah, so we gotta help him!" Goombaria urged her dumbfounded family.

Goompapa and Goomama looked at each other in concern, and then exchanged glances with Gooma and Goompa.

Goompa looked uneasy. "Just out there in the Clearing, Goombaria?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I saw him with my own eyes! I'm not lying!"

Dad nodded, "Dear, watch the kids while me and Goompa check it out.." he said.

Goomama nodded.

"C'mere, honey," Gooma began to usher Goombaria away back into the house. "I'll make you some tea and cut you a slice of Nutty Cake."

"Can I go?" Goombario asked, quietly.

Goompapa looked just about ready to turn Goombario away too- ready to tell him _no_ _, go join your sister,_ because he feared the worst and didn't want to let Goombario see his idol down for the count permanently- but Goompa felt otherwise.

"Yes, Goombario," he said. "Come along." He started to head toward the Clearing.

Goompapa turned and spoke to Goompa in a harsh whisper. "Don't you think he should stay with the family? What if...?"

"I know." Goompa mused. "But I think... he should come along. I can't explain it. It's a gut feeling." He glanced up toward the sky for a brief second, but shook his head lightly.

Goompapa gave him a frown, but said nothing more. He didn't want to create such a fuss in front of Goombario.

Meanwhile, Goombario solemnly walked behind the two. Ever the over-thinker, he considered the circumstance here.

The chance he awaited to meet Mario was here at last. He wanted to be excited. However, Goombaria's words of him just lying there and not moving... what happened to him? He wanted to see for himself.

If Goombaria was lying, he would get back at her for this cruel joke. If she wasn't...? He found it difficult to consider the fact that Mario- THE Mario!- was probably...

There was just one way to see though, and that was getting to the Clearing. Goombario swallowed nervously, and followed his Dad and Grandpa past the trees.


End file.
